Blueberry Lemon Scones

January 25, 2017

3 minute read

My puppy knows when I’m about to make these scones. During the summer after college when I moved back home, Monkey and I spent every crisp San Francisco morning together in my parent’s kitchen. I had a long list of dog-eared (pun) recipes to try after 4 years of campus life. Despite the length of this list, this recipe was a weekly staple.

On these mornings, Monkey would split his time between lapping up whatever I had whisked onto the floor and bounding through my mom’s garden out back. But as soon as these scones began to take formation, he would sit at my feet, waiting for me to accidentally drop some dough onto the tile floor. I’d like to think his attentiveness to them was because he too is gluten and dairy intolerant.

For this recipe I used chia seeds as a stand-in for a large portion of the oil and vegan butter. Native to Mexico and parts of South America, chia seeds were a staple of the Ancient Aztec diet. They are virtually flavorless but when combined with liquid, form a gelatinous substance that works perfectly as a binder in baking.

They are packed with plant protein, fiber, manganese, and omega-3’s – which keep you fuller longer. They also add crunch and texture when used in baking which requires you to chew slower, aiding in digestion. If you are a vegan, these little seeds provide countless nutritional benefits for which you might otherwise be deficient.

Many batches were tested and tweaked in order to yield this recipe. Not only are they free of gluten, dairy, and refined sugars, they are insanely light, textured, and flavorful. The tart flavor from the lemon zest and the sweetness of the blueberries combined with the earthy, crunchy oats makes for the perfect breakfast scone.

You may use whatever fruits and/or nuts you have on hand – just make sure to dice them. When I am low on fresh blueberries or pears, dried raisins and currants work beautifully. Sprinkle in some chopped pistachios and almonds as well!

Olive’s Scones

1/2 cup almond milk

juice and zest from one lemon

4 tbsp ground chia seeds + 10 tbsp boiling water

1 1/3 c thick-cut rolled oats (not instant or steel-cut)

1 c brown rice flour

1/3 c natural cane or coconut sugar

1/2 c almond flour

1/3 c quinoa flour

6 tbsp ground flaxseed

1 tbs baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

4 tbsp Earth Balance Vegan Butter Spread

1 flax egg ( 3 tbsp flax seed mixed well with 6 tbsp warm water)

1 c blueberries (I used dried blueberries for this batch – any dried or fresh fruit will work)

Preheat your oven to 400F and lightly oil 2 baking sheets. In a small bowl, whisk together the almond milk and lemon juice and zest.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the ground chia seeds and boiling water. Let sit for a few minutes while it binds and stir once more. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, brown rice flour, sugar, almond flour, quinoa flour, flaxseed, baking powder, and salt. Add the vegan butter and work into the flours using a fork or your hands until mixture is crumbly.

Combine the almond milk, lemon, flax egg, and chia seeds. Add it to the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to fold into a dough. Add the berries and lightly fold until just combined. Dough will be slightly wet. Using a fork and your hands, shape each scone into triangles on the prepared baking sheets. They should be around the size of a deck of playing cards.

Bake the scones for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let them cool before lifting them from the pan. They are best eaten with a puppy.